The invention relates to server systems for use in a network of computers and particularly to administering a server having a subsystem in communication with an event bus.
Client/server systems, in which the server executes one or more applications for a client, are similar to traditional multi-user systems such as UNIX. Graphically, these systems behave similarly to X-WINDOWS, a user interface standard for UNIX systems. A client/server system, such as the commercially available WINFRAME system manufactured by Citrix Systems, Inc. of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., may include a number of application servers. Each application server may support multi-tasking of several applications that may be requested by a user at a remotely located workstation.
In order to minimize response time, maximize system throughput, and generally give the appearance that the user""s application program is executing at the client, an administrator will often provide a user with access to a number of application servers that host the desired applications and are capable of servicing the user""s requests. However, in order for such a system to operate efficiently, the application servers must dynamically coordinate access to system resources shared among the application servers as well as coordinate access to the application servers by the user. One way in which this is done is selecting one server from the group to act as the xe2x80x9cmaster server.xe2x80x9d The master server is responsible for keeping track of resource usage both by users and application servers. However, as the number of applications servers grows larger, the administrative burden becomes significant, effectively limiting the size of these networks.
The present invention avoids this potential problem.
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for administering a server having a subsystem in communication with an event bus. In one aspect, the invention relates to an administration tool for administering a server having a subsystem in communication with an event bus. The administration tool includes a graphical user interface communications channel and a graphical user interface module corresponding to a server subsystem, wherein the module is in communication with the channel. The administration tool also includes a transport module in communication with the channel. The graphical user interface module transmits an administration command to the corresponding server subsystem by sending the command to the transport module via the communications channel.
In one embodiment, the administrative command includes an event. In another embodiment, the graphical user interface module includes a loadable module. In another embodiment, the loadable module includes a JAVA bean. In another embodiment, the loadable module includes a COM module. In another embodiment, the loadable module includes an ActiveX control. In another embodiment, the transport module sends data to the server using TCP/IP. In another embodiment, the administration tool also includes a plurality of graphical user interface modules, each of the modules corresponding to a respective subsystem on the server. In another embodiment, the graphical user interface module corresponds to a plurality of server subsystems. In another embodiment, the graphical user interface module displays dynamic data associated with the corresponding subsystem. In another embodiment, the communications channel includes a data object.
In another aspect, the invention also relates to a method for administering a server having a subsystem in communication with an event bus. The method includes the steps of providing a graphical user interface communications channel and providing a graphical user interface module corresponding to a server subsystem, the module in communication with the channel. The method also includes the steps of providing a transport module in communication with the channel and transmitting an administration command from the graphical user interface module to the corresponding server subsystem by sending the command to the transport module via the communications channel.
In one embodiment, the method also includes the step of creating an administrative command using an event format. In another embodiment, the method also includes the step of adding an additional graphical user interface module corresponding to a respective subsystem on the server. In another embodiment, the method also includes the step of displaying dynamic data associated with the corresponding subsystem via the graphical user interface module.
In another embodiment, the step of providing a graphical user interface module also includes providing a loadable module. In another embodiment, the step of providing a loadable module also includes providing a JAVA bean. In another embodiment, the step of providing a loadable module also includes providing a COM object. In another embodiment, the step of providing a loadable module also includes providing an ActiveX control. In another embodiment, the step of transmitting also includes using TCP/IP. In another embodiment, the step of providing a communications channel also includes using a data object.